Steepwalker Apparel

Many consider Asher “Dick” Kelty to be the OG of the modern load bearing pack. For your backpack hunters out there, it’s always good to know your lineage and your pack says a lot about you.

Although Kelty isn’t a widely excepted premium hunter’s pack, the guts and technology are used by all the big dogs today that you spend a quarter of your paycheck on.

Prior to WWI, backpacks were not referred to as such, instead they were known as or packsacks.

Although backpacks can be dated back to 3300BC, it was Dick Kelty who is credited with the futuristic designs you now take for granted.

Kelty, originally a carpenter began to make external aluminum framed packs out of his garage with his wife Nena in the 1950s. It’s reported that his first lot of orders totaled 29 and used surplus US Army parachute fabric throughout the main bag. This was a lucrative moment for Kelty because within several years, his designs were the best in the world.

Although Steepwalker is partial to American craftsmen, it’s argued that Ake Nordin, the inventor of Fjallraven also made his first external pack around the same time.

The D4 pack (pic. 1, D4 predecessor circa, 1960) is widely considered the first iconic pack of Kelty and began production in the mid 1960s.

In pic. 2, you can see an alpinist sporting a late 1960ish BB5 pack. This Kelty aluminum framed pack was the pinnacle of high end gear that even nerdy alpinist utilized.

These packs would allow a hiker or hunter to carry upwards of 80lbs and had many technological advances still in use today. This included a fabric hip belt and load bearing strap; easy access, top zipped accessory pouches, and a main, top down loading design for a wide range of equipment storing needs.

These packs sold for a mere $27.00 dollars but did not include the $3.85 frame extension or additional custom sewn external pockets at $3.25 each.

A modern ruck can cost in excess of $600.00 and weighs less than 7lbs. Packs today utilize polymer and carbon fiber internal frames which along with space age nylon fabric yield incredibly strong and durable designs.

Part of me wants to eBay one of these vintage packs to hike around like my dad.